Spirit of a Demon
by CrystillineYuy
Summary: Summons...A special rite for a human, where a connection with a demon is created. It was a serious status symbol to have a Summons...Everyone in the world has one...except Anya. This changes completely...When her feet touch sand for the first time...Her footsteps become a path to a new life filled with new friends...and new discoveries...
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! Say, did you ever start a story then have another story begin as your writing the other story? Well that happens to me ALL THE TIME! This one came to me while I was in the middle of writing Second Chance. I really think this is a GOOD story...And another challenge for me: Using Naruto characters within an alternate universe. This story basically just started building up and I just couldn't let it go. It's pretty good in my opinion. The first chapter is LONG because it sets the setting up (have to...ya know...gotta give you this alternate universe's rules, etc!). I have to say though, coming up with an alternate universe is HARD so sorry if some of the names are a bit...lackluster. I might change them once I get more into this alternate universe creation phase.

Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 1**

The alarm was a stark reminder that morning had come, a rather hellish time for Anya Springfield. she absolutely hated mornings. Mornings kept her away from the glory that was sleep. Groaning she slammed a hand on her infernal alarm clock and left the comfort of her warm bed to get ready for the day.

Pulling the curtains aside she almost hissed at the sun's rays lighting up her small space. She was so NOT a morning person. She trudge into the kitchen to make some coffee. Once the brown liquid passed her lips she sighed in complete bliss. Coffee was the only thing Anya liked about mornings.

Dressed Anya headed for her place of work. She was a receptionist for Hokage Industries, a vast company that handled foreigh affairs for the country of fire, Konoha. A job there was worth ten in the city, thus Anya was very lucky to have grabbed such a gig. Though it wasn't easy work and the pay was lower than her coworkers, it paid the bills so who really cared? On her way she stopped by the donut shop and grabbed the usual box of twelve. The guy behind the counter was expecting her because he had her hot and ready donuts ready to go the moment she stepped in.

"How's it going Anya?" He grinned at her. Gai was the owner of Chakra Donuts, the place to be when you wanted some hot, fresh sugery goodness. Some saw the black haired, black eyed male as...kind of odd in his ways. Anya could deal with him, you just had to keep away from topics that greatly excited him, mostly 'youth' and 'flowers' were forbidden unless you wanted to see a grown man acting a fool in his own store.

"Same old same old." She grinned back. "What about Lee? I heard it's almost time."

Gai nodded. "We're expecting anyday." He called from the back room. "Lee! Come out out! Anya's here!"

"Anya!" A humanoid being with black hair and cat ears came rushing out of the back. He had hearts in his eyes as he saw Anya and nearly jumped the counter if it were not for Gai, who quickly halted him by a hand at his shirt collar.

"Come on Lee..." Gai chuckled as the cat being pouted behind the counter. "Don't give me that, you know you're not supposed to touch anyone until we get the results back."

"Awe..." Lee pouted. "But it's Anya-chan!"

Anya chuckled. "Hey Lee...Don't worry...When the results get back I'll bring you a treat."

Black eyes widened. "Really!?"

"Really..." She headed out with her box. "See you two later!"

There needs to be mentioned something about the place Anya lived and worked. This place was filled with humans...as well as demons.

It was a rite of passage here for a demon to be summoned by a human. Most of the time they were considered pets at best but seeing the humanoids were a daily thing here. Demons did whatever their contracted human, or 'summons' as it was also called, told them to do...Some even walked around without a care in the world; as long as they were tied to a human, everything was fine. The thing though was that a human had no control over what type of demon they would 'summon'...It would just happen out of the blue sometimes. You could step on a rock and BAM, you're now tied to a rock demon. Some believed it had to do with connections with the demon and the element it related to, others just took it as destiny at work. Whatever it was, demons weren't saying anything about it, though most people believed they knew something. It didn't matter though, it was a symbiotic relationship between a human and demon. The demon would protect the human, be its friend and confidant, while the human...well...fed it.

Demons needed humans for food...They fed off of humans in different ways. Some even didn't need to feed of a human, they just needed humans to make their food. Keeping humans alive kept them alive...It was a sort of arrangement that benefited both races. Most demons were summoned during high school. It was quite the show to be sure...Normally, the demon's seal is discovered on the specific human's hand and the next moment, the demon would appear. The higher ranking the demon, the more popular you were and the better job you got once you were able to work...Everyone had a demon at hand...

Everyone...Well...Except Anya.

Like most teens she couldn't wait for her demon to appear but it never did. She tried everything, went by the book, but it seemed that no demon wanted her or was connected to her in some way. This, unfortunately, caused a lot of backlash in school but eventually she grew to ignore the gossip, really...It had become hard to find a job but at least she found something...Hell, she was surprised Hokage Industries would take her, but they did. These days people without demons were homeless and on the streets...Lucky for Anya she was neither.

Hokage Industries was the tallest skyscraper in all of the capital city of Konoha, the city called Leaf. It was a stark reminder of all residences within the city who really controlled everything. The glass doors led to a vast lobby, with glass doors for walls. The whole building seemed to be built that way, with windows instead of walls. Anyone from the street outside could see exactly what was going on in the building unless the electric curtains were cast over the windows. Anya typed in the code to the doors, walked in, clocked in and readied her station for the day. Four receptionist desk, three of them empty, were all that was present in the main lobby. Here Anya and her three other coworkers made sure those visiting knew which floor to go to, which elevator to enter, and called security if it was needed. Anya was always the first one to arrive and the last to leave. She surmised that was how she was able to get this job in the first place...Not because she had a demon at her side, no...but because of her hard work.

Twenty minutes later her workmates were filling into the doors, their demon companions behind them. The demons had their own floor, the fourth floor. What they did up there, Anya and the others humans never really knew because humans were generally banned on that floor unless it was an emergency. The only time there was any demon/human interaction during work hours were on Mondays and Wednesdays, when both species had lunch together in various places in the building. This was possible because the entire building was shut down at exactly noon so that everyone, human and demon alike, could have a proper lunch.

As the vast assembly of Konoha Industry workers and their demons filed, Anya caught a glimpse of blonde hair before a grinning whiskered face and bright, mischievous blue eyes were in her line of vision. This was Naruto, Hinata's hyperactive demon companion who liked to pay pranks on pretty much anyone in the building.

"Anya-chan!" Naruto was practically jumping up and down. How did Hinata deal with such hyper activity? Anya never truly knew. "Ne! Let's have some ramen later!"

She chuckled at the blonde fox demon. Shaking her head Anya said, "Naruto...You and ramen..." It was the only thing, besides Hinata, that Naruto cared about. She heard Hinata had an entire room stock full of all different kinds of ramen just for Naruto. "It's a wonder how Hinata can stand seeing so much Ramen."

"Awe, Hinata likes it just fine! Don'tcha Hinata-chan?" Beside him came his human, Anya's friend and coworker Hinata Hyuuga. She was a shy woman, which made Anya wonder just how Hinata managed to be paired with such a hyper demon. She was quite good looking, as all Hyuugas were with her long dark hair and iris-less eyes. The Hyuuga clan were quite the big shots in Konoha, their family having lived here for centuries, they pretty much handled anything Konoha Industries couldn't. Gossip went around that Hinata got her job simply because she was a Hyuuga but Anya knew differently. Hinata may be shy, but like Anya herself, she was a hard worker.

"Y...Yeah..." Hinata eeped out.

"I brought the doughnuts." Anya nodded. "They're in the back."

"Thanks, Anya-chan." Hinata smiled at her.

"Anya-chan!" Another co-worker came up. Though he wasn't a receptionist, he was well known on the upper floors. Kiba was a security guard who worked day shift alongside three others.

"What's up?"

She sighed. "No Kiba...I'm not going to go out with you and Ikamaru..." He was a good guy, but also a bit...pushy when it came to going out after work. Several times he had asked Anya out for a date, and every time she turned him down. What did he see in her anyway? She had no demon, so most of the time she was pretty much left alone save for her co-workers and Kiba.

"Awe why not? You work your butt off everyday!" Kiba frowned at her.

"Where is Ikamaru anyway?" She asked Kiba who shrugged.

"He wanted to go roam the forest so I said go ahead." Kiba said. "I was going to meet up with him after work."

Naruto whined again. "Awe man...I wanted to play with Akamaru today!"

All of a sudden Naruto's cheery mood changed. His claws and fangs barred as another duo walked into the squank establishment. This particular duo was of a pink haired woman and her demon companion, a tall black haired, red eyed demon.

"Teme..." Naruto growled at the demon behind the pinkette. Said demon just ignored Naruto's growls, used to them by now.

"Dobe." He regarded Naruto while the pink haired woman sighed.

"Will you two EVER get over it? Geez..." She crossed her arms, shook her head. "I swear you two are beyond help."

Anya rolled her eyes. "Well...You DID choose Sasuke over Naruto, Sakura...And demons hold grudges, BIG time."

"Yeah, yeah..." Sakura waved Anya off. "He'll get over it eventually..." She looked around. "Has Ino arrived yet?"

"Nah...Probably won't for a while..." Kiba said. "I heard she's romping around with Sai again."

"Why am I not surprised?" Sakura sighed. "Anyway...We'll see you guys at lunch." She grabbed Sasuke and went over to her station.

"C...Calm down Naruto..." Hinata placed a hand on Naruto's arm and the blonde demon instantly relaxed. He smiled at Hinata.

"Awe...I'm always calm around you, Hinata-chan!" He grinned and presented the top of his head to her. "Head rub!"

Blushing she scratched the area and like a cat he started purring.

"Oh yeah! That's the spot!" He purred.

"Get a room." Anya chuckled and Hinata blushed crimson.

"Ne...So..." Naruto returned his attention to Anya, a bit of excitement in his eyes. "Any sign yet?"

"No and I assume by now it's not going to happen." Anya shrugged, knowing he was talking about her summons. Everyday he asked, and everyday Anya just shook her head.

"Awe...You'll get a demon soon, Anya-chan!" Naruto gave her a thumbs up. "Yatta! I'm sure of it!"

"Don't need one, so I'm good." She reasoned. "You'd better head upstairs...I heard they're having a banquet-" Naruto was gone in a flash but not before giving Hinata a kiss on the cheek. The woman eeped at the contact then nearly fell over in a faint in the process.

Anya chuckled then shook her head. She went to her terminal and prepared for the workload to come. Right at 9 am she quickly got out of her chair and like the rest of the receptionists prepared to welcome the CEO of the company.

In she strolled, Tsunade...The head of the Konoha Industries. She had inherited it after her father died several years ago. She was quite a strict woman and most famous for one thing and one thing alone…

She was of the very few...Who summoned not one demon...but TWO.

Her demon companions were right behind her, Jiraiya the frog demon grinning like the pervert he was as he viewed the several receptionists in the lobby, and Orochimaru the silent snake demon regarding everything with his lazy, creepy smile. These two specific demons were very high on the chain of respect in the demon community, thus Tsunade was respected by both races as a very powerful woman. Not many could say they would step in her way as she walked past them.

"Hiya ladies!" Jiraya waved at the receptionists. "Let's have some fun today!" He also grinned at the demons that stood behind the ladies. "Gentlemen, looking sharp as ever!"

"Knock it off." Tsunade glared at him. Putting her hands on her hips, she immediately gave out orders to her four receptionist. Sakura was the leader of them, ready to hand out the duties needed to be assigned. There was a rumor that Tsunade was grooming Sakura to be her heir, but no one was willing to confirm it.

"I need stats from yesterday sent to my office immediately!" Tsunade and her two demon companions were gone up the elevator to her lavish office on the top floor.

Work began immediately after...The day went as it usually did...Tsunade-sama was a strict boss in most areas but made sure everyone was well paid for their work. The company had become the best place for women to work, thanks to Tsunade. When the 5 o'clock bell rang, while everyone else was packing up for home, Anya was getting ahead with tomorrow's assignments.

"I can't believe you're still here, invalid."

She froze at the voice then turned to greet the absolute vein of her existence. Neiji Hyuuga was staring her down with his usual 'holier than thou stare'. He always came to pick up Hinata and Naruto...Quite the bastard he was, for he always saw Anya as lower than dirt simply because she had no summons.

"N...Neji..." Hinata regarded her cousin while waiting for Naruto to come down with the other demons.

"Why would the highest ranking company in the world higher someone such as you I will never know." Neiji commented at Anya, who took it with a straight face. It wasn't like she wasn't used to negative comments coming her way. It happened pretty much everyday of her life thus she was used it completely.

"I really don't know." Anya huffed as she continued to type at her computer, completely ignoring Neiji's presence. "Maybe because I actually WORK for my meals instead of letting some demon do it for me."

Neiji gave her glare that spoke volumes but she didn't care. His whole family was just plan awful...Well...except Hinata.

"Whoo hoo!" The demons from the 4th floor came down from the elevators, ready to go home with their companions. Naruto rushed to Hinata, grinning. "Ramen time!"

Hinata chuckled. "Naruto..."

Neiji rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Naruto was a high ranking demon, at least that's what Anya heard, and that in turn gave his family honor so who was he to complain anyway?

"Catch ya later Anya-chan!" Naruto waved at Anya as he and the Hyuugas were gone.

"Ne, Anya-chan..." Sakura came up to her, smiling. "Are we on for this weekend?"

"Sure..." Anya nodded her way. "Girls night only...No demons." It was a regular occurrence for Anya and her three receptionist co-workers to go out every Saturday, just the four of them without any demons present. It was the only time Anya felt like she belonged to a group.

"You got it!" Sakura giggled while her own demon frowned behind her. As always, at the mention of girls night, he crossed his arms in disapproval. Sakura rolled her eyes at his displeasure.

"Oh come off it Sasuke..." She waved him off. "Sometimes you're just way too obsessive."

Sasuke snorted. "Not happening."

She groaned. Turning to Anya she said, "I'll see you this weekend...No demons. Promise." She gripped onto Sasuke then headed out.

Anya watched her and others leave for the day before getting back to work. She had always done this...the last one to leave and the first one to be there, ready to work. Honestly it was mostly to give her a bit of time to herself before heading home.

"Hello there lovely..." She froze at hearing the voice. Orochimaru had entered the lobby and was grinning right at her. This particular demon gave her chills. Ever since she had started working here, Orochimaru seemed to be very interested in her, though Anya never knew why. Of the demons, Anya hated him the most. He creeped her out...A LOT.

"Good afternoon." Still she had to be civil...He was partnered with her boss after all.

"Poor, Anya-chan..." He reached for her. "No demon...I'll be your friend..."

"No thanks..." She quickly moved away from him. This was a normal thing for her, dodging his advances nearly every five seconds they were alone together which didn't happen often but when it did, Anya dreaded it with a passion.

"Tsunade told me to come get you, lovely..." Orochimaru grinned and Anya rolled her eyes.

"I hardly believe that..." He tried this every day...Trying to get her alone.

"Oh it's true...You can call up there yourself if you want..." Orochimaru reasoned and Anya

raised an eyebrow at him.

Quickly she reached for her phone and dialed the top floor. "Ma'am?"

"Get up here, Anya...We need to discuss something." The phone line went dead.

Anya froze and looked at a grinning Orochimaru, his triumph clear as day on his face.

"I promise not to do anything..." He reasoned and she huffed.

"Alright..." It wasn't like he could do anything anyway...The rule was demons couldn't do anything their companions didn't want them to do. The summons bond prevented that from happening. This was a safety precaution, in case things became too dangerous. These were still demons after all, powerful creatures who could level an entire city if they so choose to.

Anya followed Orochimaru to the upper office, wondering what exactly her boss wanted from her. The whole time she made sure to keep the snake demon in front of her, in case he tried anything. The elevator dinged and the doors opened to a lavish hallway with wine colored floors and intricate golden ceilings.

"Right this way, lovely..." Orochimaru hissed then guided her down the hallway to the large doors that lead to Tsunade's office.

The CEO office was on the top floor, windows everywhere overlooking the vast city, much like the entire building. Inside was a single desk and a couch that was occupied by a sleeping Juraiya. Tsunade was hard at work at her desk not with paperwork, but with a bottle of vodka. She was a hard working woman who played just as hard.

"There's my hard worker!" The CEO grinned at Anya then raised her glass high. "Cheers!" She took a big swig then slammed the cup down and poured another. Drink in hand Tsunade's grin faded.

"I've been wondering why you haven't been chosen yet..." Tsunade eyed Anya. "It's pretty rare for someone to live their whole life without a demon companion...In fact, I can only think of one other human that went through life without a demon companion and he died well before even I was born." She stared at Anya. "Have you been meditating?"

"Nightly." Anya told her. It was the main stipulation of her working here. Anya was required to meditate nightly and do whatever was needed to find her demon partner.

"Don't be hard on lovely, Tsunade..." Orochimaru hissed. "She's just...Special...Only the best for lovely..."

Tsunade regarded Orochimaru. "His reaction to you tells me you ARE special, Anya. The question is why..." She eyed Orochimaru. "Though the idiot won't tell me why..." She smirked. "I love a good mystery..." Down went another drink. "Anyway...That's not the only reason why I called you up here..." Her steady blue eyes met Anya. "You need to listen carefully at what I'm about to tell you. It could very well save your life."

Anya paused, quiet and attentive. What was so important that it could save her life?

"We'll be visited by an envoy from Suna." Tsunade told her. "Over there, people like you are...Dealt with...If you get my drift." Tunade raised an eyebrow. "I suggest you either don't show up for work the day they arrive, or make yourself scarce." She poured herself another drink. "They're coming in a week, just letting you know."

Anya nodded, grateful the blonde haired CEO was actually looking out for her.

"Let me know what you decide by Thursday." Tsuande instructed. "Dismissed!"

Bowing Anya quickly left the office, rushed down the swank hallway, and entered the elevator. Once in the lobby, she quickly packed her bag and left, Tsuande's words hanging over her head like a cloud of worry.

_Suna...Dealt with...Scarce_...Anya had never been anywhere besides Konoha, mostly because she didn't have the money or a summons to help her. She did though, know about the other countries that surrounded her homeland, one it particular Suna. It was a nation that was flourishing in a vast desert with its own ancient laws that were said to be older than Konoha itself. Anya heard stories about a particular law in Suna that required everyone to have a summons before leaving high school. If such a thing did not occur, they were considered like Anya...Invalid. It didn't matter if your summons came a year later or a day later, you didn't have your demon by graduation, you were treated like dirt and many times sent away never to be heard of again. Some say, those 'invalid' people, were given to the demons that made the desert their home...Those types, their food usually consisted of meat...Human flesh to be precise which only confirmed rumors even more. Demons needed food...No matter what it was they required.

Sighing Anya entered her apartment, dreading the week to come. She opted to let Tsunade know she wouldn't be there when the Suna envoy arrived but Anya's workaholic ways, prevented her from even thinking about it. It wasn't like the envoy was going to stay in the lobby the whole dang time, thus Anya could just hide in the break room until the group was out of sight.

Her decision made, Anya readied a night home, almost anxious for the days to come.

Little did she know that this was the beginning...Of fate.


	2. Chapter 2

Whew! Now that we've got the setting out of the way, it's time to get a few things rolling. For those who are new to my style of writing, I tend to take things slow. I like enjoying the journey, not rushing through it to get to the end. For those who are familiar with my stories, you probably can surmise what's going happen. (Am I that predicitable? Yep! And I'm LOVING IT! ::grins::) Still though, enjoy this journey I'm guiding you through. It's gonna be a good one.

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 2**

"This is so exciting!" Sakura smiled. "An envoy from Suna!"

That weekend, during girl's night out, the gossip of the coming guests to the company surfaced. Some big shot was coming to speak with Tsunade and everyone was talking about it.

"I heard Shikamaru's coming too!" Ino squealed. "I haven't seen him in years!"

Shikamaru had moved to Suna as a liaison to the company. While there he had acquired his demon...A wind demon by the name of Temari. He came back every so often for reports but couldn't stay long due to Temari not being used to Konoha's environment.

While everyone talked about the coming guests, Anya was completely silent; Tsunade's words were still on her mind, even two days later. She recalled the frown on Tsunade's face when she told the CEO that she would be present when the envoy arrived, but would make sure to make herself scarce upon their arrival. No matter what, Anya's hard working attitude prevented her from not showing up to work, unless she was on her deathbed of course.

"A...Anya?" Hinata's worried tone brought Anya back to reality. Her soft voice was hard to hear over the loud dance music that filled the bar.

"I'm fine..." Anya told her.

"No you're not." Sakura was at her side in an instant, drink in hand. Their usual spot for girl's night out was a local bar that only tailored to women. Here female demons and female humans mingled without men from any species to bother them.

"Shishou told me about Suna's...program..." Sakura had always high respect for Tsunade, further proof she was being groomed to be the heir to the company.

"Program?" Ino suddenly became interested in the conversation.

"Welll..." Sakura sighed. "Apparently, if you don't get your summons by graduation, either two things happen...You become a slave or...Are killed."

"Really!?" Ino gapped at the absurdity. "I can't believe it!"

"I...I heard the prince is the worst..." Hinata added.

"Yeah, and he's coming too." Sakura nodded. "According to Shishou, Prince Sasori is a spoiled little rich kid that basically gets whatever he wants. He's supposedly got a huge harem of girls. I heard he's about to take over his family's throne, thus the visit."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't he have to get married before he takes over Suna?"

"Y...Yeah..." Hinata nodded.

A snort from the blonde of their group, Ino. "What woman in her right mind would want to marry that bastard anyway?"

"I don't know...Next week is going to be interesting." Sakura looked at Anya who still hadn't said anything. "Don't you worry...We'll make sure you're safe, Anya."

"Yeah, we all will!" Ino promised, Hinata nodded her head.

Anya smiled at her coworkers. They were quite the bunch indeed...On her first day at the company, she expected to be completely ignored due to her 'invalid' status. These days people hardly wanted to even talk to you if you didn't have a demon next to you. Instead, Sakura, Hinata, and even Ino had pushed her into their little girl group, dubbing themselves the Working Girls. Even in this world where demons and humans cohabited, a single lady had to be a hard lady to deal with. Sakura and Ino were very hard ladies to deal with...Their anger scared away even the strongest of demons. It was even worse when their own demons would probably either be cheering them on or dealing with the problem themselves.

"Thanks you guys...I...Really appreciate it..." Anya smiled at the three, glad for the comradery between them. It took a long time, but finally Anya had friends...They were working friends, but still friends.

The week flew by until the day came for the guests of honor to arrive. Tsunade pulled out all the stops for this visit...The lobby was cleaned to perfection and everyone was required to be there for the arrival. The receptionists and their demons all stood in a complete line; Anya hung out in the break room, keeping the door slightly ajar so she could see everything. Even though she needed to be out of sight, she still needed to know exactly what the honored guests looked like so she could avoid them at all costs.

She watched from behind the break room door as the front doors opened and the Suna envoy entered, escorted by Shikamaru. Lord Baki, the leader of Suna, was quite the imposing man to be sure...Towering at nearly 6 feet tall he towered over Tsunade but she didn't cower under his intense gaze. Half of his face was covered by a traditional Suna face cloth. Right beside him was his son, the red headed prince named Sasori. The only thing that was strange was that there were no signs of any demons nearby...Even Shikamaru's demon seemed to be scarce at the moment.

"Welcome to Konoha." Tsunade greeted them.

"A warm welcome indeed from the country of fire." Baki greeted back. "Your father would be quite proud of you, Tsunade-san."

"Thank you." She gave a smirk his way. "Well...Let's get this started shall we?"

The high end party gone, Anya breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Well...Who's this chick that didn't give us a proper intro?"

Anya jumped near ten feet at the voice behind her. The break room door swung open and she nearly tumbled onto the floor before she was caught by a startled Naruto.

The offending party was a demon with a white face and purple markings, a grin displaying sharp fangs. His whole body was covered in black. Behind him was a demoness with blonde hair that was done up in spiky pigtails. Anya recognized the demoness as Shikamaru's summons, the wind demon named Temari. She could only guess the guy beside her was a summons for one of the Suna gentlemen.

"Knock it off, Kankurou." The woman gave the unknown demon a glare.

"Awe but she's a cutie!" Kankurou whined at Temari. " 'Sides she didn't give us a proper greeting!"

It was obvious...Kankurou was one of the Suna demons, but...which human was he connected to? Baki or Sasori? And shouldn't there be three instead of two demons?

"Anya-chan, you okay?" Naruto helped her up, keeping his eyes upon the Suna demons the whole time. Even though he was Hinata's demon, he still had a bit of a protective streak when it came to Anya's safety.

"Ah...Her name's Anya huh?" Kankurou persisted. "Nice name...Wanna show me around hon?"

"Knock it off Kankurou." A third approached, this one taller than the other two. He had an aura of leadership about him. He stared at Kankurou with a menacing glance before the demon backed off.

"Yes father." Kankurou moved away, allowing the elder to approach. He looked nothing like Kankurou with his short red hair and staring eyes.

"Forgive my son for such improper greetings." The man said. "I am Rasa, the demon of Baki. My son is of Sasori."

Naruto frowned. "Yer a family?" This was surprising indeed, even for Anya. Textbooks did mention that demons had families but rarely did they see each other.

"Yes." Rasa nodded. "My daughter, Temari I assume you know." He gestured to the demon woman on his other side. "And of course, my son Kankurou." He gestured to Kankurou.

"Whoa..." Naruto instantly relaxed. "Neat. Well, welcome to Konoha!

Rasa nodded. "Thank you, now please excuse us...For only Temari has been in your lands before...Though brief the stay, she knows more than myself or Kankurou of the culture here." Rasa seemed a bit...Respectful but Anya had a feeling she didn't trust any of them. Even Temari didn't seem like one to be trusted right now. Of the Suna group, only Temari knew of Anya's...inability to produce her summons. Had she told her father and brother as well? Probably not, otherwise they wouldn't be so...friendly to her right now.

"Awe no worries!" Naruto immediately brushed off the misunderstanding with a grin. "Come on! I'll show ya around! The ladies gotta get to work anyway!"

The demons left for their floor, bringing the Suna visitors with them in the process. Anya breathed her final sigh of relief when they were all gone.

A hand on her shoulder and Sakura's worried look was in her face. When she was worried, it was always Sakura who was at her side like a big sister of sorts, to comfort her in her time of need.

"I'm alright." Anya told her. "Let's go ahead and get to work."

Despite the morning's odd occurance, the day went by as peacefully as possible. Anya had become so invested in her work that she completely forgot the morning's occurrence, and when the 5 o'clock bell sounded, as usual she ignored it to get more work done for the next day.

"...Maybe you should go home, Anya..." Again, there was Sakura nearby, expressing her deep concern.

"Nah...I'll be fine." Anya told her as she continued to type. "Tsunada-sama wanted these reports by morning and I'm almost done."

Sakura chuckled. "You're such a workaholic you know..." She gave Anya a worried look. "Just...be careful alright? Until...Everything goes back to normal."

"Sure." Anya nodded. "You'd better hurry..." She rolled her eyes. "Hell hath no fury than Sasuke's temper."

At that Sakura giggled then winked. "Only if you don't know how to handle it." She smiled. "Girl's night out this weekend?"

"Definitely." Anya gave her a thumbs up then wished her well. She waved to others that left and soon, as always, she was alone in the lobby. That was fine, Anya liked the silence around her.

Yet, this time, such silence was soon shattered when a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"And just where is your demon anyway?"

Kankurou was on the other side of her desk, practically leering at her.

"Mmmm...A cutie like you probably has a good one..." Kankurou raised an eyebrow at her. "Unless..." His eyes went wide at the sudden realization hit him. "No way..."

He suddenly started busting out in laughter that filled the empty space. Anya didn't know whether he was joking or...something else.

"Well, well, well..." The laughter quickly died away and Kankurou's expression changed into a sly smirk. "An invalid..." He suddenly jumped over the counter and Anya quickly jumped away. She backed away from him until her back hit the wall behind her. "Now...Don't be so scared..." He was suddenly in her personal space, his hands on either side of her head, entrapping her. "Yer too cute to eat..."

Her eyes widened. "Wh...What...?"

He chuckled darkly. "Demons need food, baby..." He grinned, bearing fangs. "What kinda food do ya think I eat anyway?" He leaned in close. "Awe...Don't you worry your pretty head...Like I said...Yer a cutie..." He was in near kissing distance. "Mmm...I could think of some really...NICE stuff we could do..." His face immediately went to her neck, his nostrils takeing a big whiff of her essence. Anya recalled from school that among their vast array of abilities, demons had quite a keen sense of smell, no matter what type they were.

All of a sudden Kankurou reared away from her as though he had been pushed away by an unseen force. Sheer terror was in his eyes as he stared right at her, his body shaking all over.

He looked as though he had just committed a most heinous act, and was waiting for a very extreme punishment to occur. Anya had become a bit concerned by his reaction...What was this demon so scared of anyway? Never in her life had a demon looked at her like that...As though they were experiencing their final moments being alive.

"Kankurou? Seriously?" Temari was there a few seconds later, appearing like the wind at her brother's side. "Father said to leave them alone."

"Uh...Yeah, yeah..." Kankurou inhaled a deep breath. "Sorry..." He chuckled nervously. "Old habits." He gave a brief, weary stare towards Anya. "I was just...joking around ya know? It's who I am! Honest! I meant no harm!"

Anya stood there, slack jawed. He was apologizing? No, it was more like pleading almost. Did he think she really had a demon and it was about to attack him?

_Let him think what he wants_, she thought, _just so he'll leave me alone._

Temari rolled her eyes then planted them on Anya. She approached the woman, Anya unsure of what this demon wanted. Anya had never really interacted with Temari, the wind demon usually making herself scarce when she and Shikamaru came to Kohona.

"Look here, human." She was staring Anya down, a hand at her hip. "Let me give you some advice...Don't go to Suna...EVER." She turned away from her. "Come on Kankurou, father wanted us upstairs with the others."

"Y...Yeah..." Kankurou gave Anya one more look before following his elder sister to the elevators.

It took a long moment for Anya's heart to calm. Quickly she grabbed her stuff and got the hell out of dodge, practically running until she reached her safe haven of an apartment.

She chose then and there to completely forget what happened and hope the coming days didn't require she interact with Kankurou at all.


	3. Chapter 3

We are getting closer to the moment Anya recieves her demon! (squeals) Yeah, you all pretty much know who it's going to be (heh, heh). HOWEVER...::grins::...I'll...just leave it at that...

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 3**

After that initial interaction, Kankurou had ignored her like the plague and Anya was fine with that. Not like she wanted to see the demon again anyway...he was just too...well...freaky for her. As the week went on, Anya had become fully invested in her work, completely ignoring the Suna guests. The Kankurou incident she brushed off as just a cultural misunderstanding, nothing to really worry about honestly. At least he left her alone now.

The week ended as it always did, with girls night out at the local bar.

Sakura was downing the drinks one after another, making her Shishou extremely proud but her friends very cautious.

"Geez forehead, what's gotten up your butt?" Ino snorted at Sakura's binge drinking that rivaled Tsunade's.

"Red headed jerks." Sakura huffed. "I had to show Sasori-sama around..." She snorted. "Total prick."

Anya raised an eyebrow at her. "That bad huh?"

Sakura downed another drink.

"Damn idiot tried to grope me...five FREAKING TIMES!" Her cup slammed onto the table, shattering it into pieces. "I almost allowed Sasuke to fry his butt!"

"Whoa..." Ino gapped. "You okay?"

Sakura sighed. "Yeah..." She glared again. "After the...tour guide gig, Sasuke has refused to leave me alone." She looked over her shoulder where the demon had planted himself. He was the only male in a sea of women but his eyes were only trained on Sakura. It was a bit unnerving how he managed to force himself into this establishment that only allowed women to enter. He quite literally took one look at the guards at the door, almost daring them to touch him, and they quickly moved aside, allowing the black haired demon to pass. He wasn't budging from his spot behind Sakura's seat, no matter what the pinkette said.

"W...Well he's worried about you." Hinata stammered.

"Well his worry can go to hell!" Sakura was obviously stone drunk.

"You might need to take her home..." Ino looked at Sasuke. "Before forehead decides to destroy the whole joint."

Wishing everyone final goodbyes, Anya headed home herself. She loved walking home after girl's night, especially this time of year; when the air was crisp and clean. She slowed her walk a little, just to enjoy the night air. She turned a corner she always used to head home…That's when she saw it...Hidden away in a little alleyway. It was a form lost in shadows, unknown to her in the moment...There was a crunching sound of sorts and it made her cringe. She quickened her steps, hoping whatever it was would continue whatever it was doing and...ignore her. She knew very well it was a demon enjoying his or her...food...though Anya didn't really want to know just what type of food the demon was munching on. She managed to get home unscathed, making sure to lock her door in the process.

The next morning the Suna group's final days in Konoha were being planned out. Tsunade intended on having a company dinner in their honor of which needed to be planned as quickly as possible.

"Hey Anya!" Sakura came up to Anya's desk with a folder in hand. "Could you send this up to the tenth floor? They need this stat and I don't have the time to get away from my desk."

"Sure." Anya grabbed the file and rushed to the elevator, punching the specific number she waited as the elevator headed towards her desired destination.

The elevator stopped on the fourth floor, the demon floor, and Anya waited for the doors to open, wondering just who was coming in. The doors slid open and the tall red head that came with Lord Baki entered. He spoke not a word as he walked in, the door closing behind him silently. She recalled his name was Rasa, the father of Kankurou and Temari. It was quite amazing to discover an entire family of demons working together with their human counterparts. Anya surmised he was heading to Tsunade's office thus she pushed the button for him and waited for her floor to arrive.

It was a tense few seconds before her floor was buzzed. Since she had no idea what to say to Rasa she chose to simply ignore him as the doors slid open and she headed out.

"Beware of all kinds of sand." She jumped and turned around to see his steely gaze upon her as the doors closed, encasing him within the elevator.

Frowning she watched the elevator numbers shine before heading towards her destination. She returned to the lobby unscathed but realized it was noon...And it was Monday.

"Whoo hoo!" Naruto's happy face popped out of the elevator his grin a light in a confusing moment. "Mondays! Gotta love Mondays!"

Like always at noon the lobby was closed up to allow all employees a decent lunch but this time the lobby and break room were filled with demons and their humans alike. As always, Mondays and Wendesdays were the demon/human mingle lunches.

"Food, food, food, food!" Naruto sang as he waited anxiously for his ramen to cook in the microwave, his whole body bobbing up and down to the beat of his 'food' song. Hinata giggled at his antics.

"You're pretty easy to take care of, ne Naruto?" Anya joined in on the laughter. Naruto was always so hilarious in his actions.

"Yep! Just give me a cup of Ramen and I'm good!" Naruto grinned at her then returned to his observation of the microwave. "Come on!" He whined. "Hurry up! I'm hungry!"

Anya frowned. Last night's...encounter and the encounter with Kankurou got her thinking. "Say...Naruto...It's true that...all you demons...don't eat the same thing, right?"

"Uh huh..." Naruto nodded as he continued his vigil of his cooking food.

Remembering again what happened, Anya asked, "Do you know any...that eat...well...meat?"

Naruto hmmed. "Not really..." He turned his head to her, frowning. "Why ask such a question?"

Anya paused.

"Just...Curious..."

"Dobe wouldn't know anyone anyway." Sasuke entered the break room. Naruto gave him a growl before hearing the ding of his lunch.

"RAMEN TIME!" He tore open the microwave, grabbed his ramen and rushed out of the room like a bat out of hell.

Anya sighed then shook her head. How did Hinata handle all that energy anyway?

"You wanted to know if any of us eat meat..." Sasuke was still there. He headed towards the fridge, pulled out a tomato, his specific food choice. "Depends on what kind of demon...And what kind of meat. Most around here don't have the taste for it at all." He raised an eyebrow at her, seemingly knowing exactly which demons she was worried about. "I wouldn't worry too much about those types of demons anyway...It's the blood ones you should be more concerned about. Blood suckers, as we call them, are everywhere these days."

"Blood suckers?" That didn't sound too good. The very words send tendrils of anxiety up Anya's spine.

"The ones that crave blood." Sasuke said as he headed out of the break room. "Never met one personally but they tend to survive on blood...human AND demon..." He left the break room and Anya with her thoughts.

Anya frowned at his words. Demons that...survived on blood? That was odd. She couldn't remember any book stating there were demons who drank blood; they were probably never mentioned because there were none in Konoha to begin with. Yet, Sasuke just said they were everywhere. Perhaps they were forgotten about or not mentioned to lessen anxieties for a summons to occur. Thinking such, she grabbed her own lunch, joined the others in the lobby. They were all crowded around the small lounge area that was tailored for guests of the company and used by employees during lunch time.

"Oh! Anya-chan!" Ino dropped her spoon in her yogurt. "Your birthday's coming up isn't it!?"

All eyes were upon Anya now, human and demon alike.

"Uh...Yeah…" Anya didn't like where this was going. Usually birthdays in the company were low key events but the look in Ino's eyes spoke volumes of how big this particular celebration was going to get.

"We've gotta do something special for you hon!" Ino gasped.

Anya frowned, shook her head. "You don't have to do anything special for me...Really...I…"

"Girl, you're turning 25!" Ino smirked. "I should know! I'm part of the birthday committee!" She suddenly jumped up. "I know! Beach party!"

"Whoo hoo!" Her excitement traveled to Naruto. "I like it! Party time!"

"Um...I...Don't know…" Anya was getting uncomfortable with all this attention. "25 isn't all that a big deal anyway…" Anya never really enjoyed her birthday, mostly because it was a constant reminder of another year without a summons. Often Anya would wonder why a demon hadn't latched onto her...Was she inadequate? Did she need more training?

"Girl, I know for a fact you've never been to the beach." Ino raised an accusing finger at Anya. How could Ino do that? Know everything about you, even the things you didn't want anyone to know. It probably had to do with her own demon, Sai. Speaking of him, Sai preferred to be alone...Never interacting with anyone but Ino, thus the reason he never appeared before anyone other than his own human. "So we're going...Deal with!"

Anya sighed. "Fine..." Ino wasn't going to back down anyway, might as well agree to the insanity ahead.

Ino grinned with pure joy. "Alrighty! Beach trip it is! Oh, we gotta go swimsuit shopping, and-" She started making the list of 'things to do', a trait she was known for, thus the reason she was a good receptionist.

Sakura was at Anya's side. "Hey..." She held sympathy in her eyes, knowing the very reason why Anya hated her birthday so much. "It'll happen, some day." Sakura gave her a reassuring smile then that smile turned into annoyance. "For now celebrate the fact that you don't have an overly obsessive idiot following you everywhere." She bobbed her head over her shoulder, stressing the obvious intimidating Uchiha demon that still wouldn't let her be alone.

Anya had to chuckle at that. "Well...You DID choose him, Sakura..."

Sakura huffed then her shoulders dropped. "Yeah...And sometimes I wonder why..." She suddenly perked up. "Come on, let's get this beach birthday bash ready!"

As her friends began making preparations, Anya too had become a bit excited at the thought of enjoying a beach holiday. She could never go because of monetary difficulties...Still though, in the back of her mind, Rasa's words began to whisper…

_Beware all kinds of sand..._


	4. Chapter 4

Whaa! I just couldn't contain myself! Here it is! The moment you've been waiting for...HE ARRIVES NOW! YAY!

Disclaimer: Naruto, its characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 4**

The Suna group was gone that Friday, which left the birthday celebration that Saturday. It was a good three hour trip on a train to the only beach in Konoha. Ino had planned everything for the day...they would all arrive at the train station early then take the train to the beach. No one bothered with suggesting that their demons take everyone for all knew Anya would be left alone if that were the only transport. Besides, the train ride was fun anyway. Anya had quickly started to enjoy herself while they made the long train ride to the only place in her homeland she had never been to...the beach.

"It's good that your happy right now, Anya…" Sakura had moved over to join Anya on the train ride. "Didn't think you would ever have this much fun huh?"

Anya actually smiled her way. "No...Never but...Who's fitting the bill for this...outing?"

Sakura's eyes glinted. "You just worry about having fun today, okay? Who cares who the bill goes to?"

Knowing she wasn't going to get an answer, Anya dropped it. Very soon the sights and sounds of the ocean filled the train. It was about a ten minute walk before they finally got to the beach itself.

How vast it was, with hardly anyone there to enjoy the crashing white spray hitting the shore. Anya would've been happy just seeing this lone sight for the first time. It was very beautiful and peaceful...Here it seemed everything slowed down...It was a sharp contrast to city life.

Ino and the girls dragged her into the women's restroom to change while the demons got things ready on the beach. The girls had gone swimsuit shopping after work and were excited to present their findings. Anya's own suit was a surprise and she glared at the flimsy thing when it was revealed. It barely covered anything! Ino gave her wink then went to her own changing room to get ready. Groaning Anya pulled back the curtain of another room and went inside.

Everyone was waiting for her to show up, the birthday girl. Anya looked down at the two piece Ino demanded she wear and swore. Such a thing was way too revealing for Anya but what could she say to free stuff? Groaning she took a deep breath then left the women's restroom.

Immediately she heard a whistle and discovered it had been Naruto on the sands with everyone else near picnic tables they had rented out for the occasion.

"Whoo ooh! Looking good Anya-chan!" He grinned and gave her a thumbs up. A light blush covered Anya's cheeks.

Steadying her heart, Anya looked down the platform and walked down the stairs, stopped before her feet could touch the sand below. Something made her halt...was it fear? No...Uncertainly? Yeah...Why was she so uncertain right now? Could it be because she's never seen sand before? Or was it because of Rasa's warning that made her suddenly want to rush back to the woman's bathroom and not come out?

"Will you hurry up already!?" Ino was shouting near the picnic tables. "Come on birthday girl! Cake time!"

Shaking her head, Anya dismissed her concerns and stepped out onto the beach. The sand felt soft and warm against her feet as she stepped along it, her destination her friends and the plethora of food around them. As she neared them she watched their happy faces begin to change...those smiles abruptly turned into wide, shocked looks.

"Anya-chan!" Hinata found her voice. It was a rare thing indeed to hear Hinata of all people shout. "Your hand!"

Anya looked at her right hand and froze...There...was a seal…

A demon seal…

She shook as the sands began to tremble under her feet. Anya watched as did those around as the sand began to swirl into a form, one that seem to tower the skies. The sand melted away into short red, wild hair, pale skin and dark eyelids. Underneath those dark eyelids, sea foam orbs were hidden...Orbs that appeared soulless under their gaze. He was about an inch taller than her, his wine colored clothing a sharp contrast to the light colors around him. He stood unmoving, not saying a word, simply staring at her with his seafoam eyes.

Anya couldn't believe it...She did it! She had a summons! Who would've thought all she had to do was walk on freaking sand to do it!

Naruto approached Anya and the newly summoned demon. He stood before the unknown demon, smirked.

"Hey...Shukaku...Long time no see..."

Anya blinked at Naruto. He...Knew this demon? This demon's name was Shukaku? Wait...that name...it...sounded familiar...Somehow...

Those soulless eyes regarded Naruto lightly.

"Kyuubi." The voice was rough with age...Deep and soft as well.

Hang on a second...He called Naruto 'Kyuubi'?

"Heh...Didn't think I'd see you again...And it's Naruto now." Naruto chuckled. "Betcha you've been waiting a long time huh...?" Naruto's eyes went from the top of Shukaku's head to the bottom of his bare feet. "...I think the last time I saw you...The humans called you Gaara...So...I guess that's your name now…"

Gaara said nothing as his gaze immediately went to Anya.

"Yep...Ya can feel it can ya?" Naruto kept his eyes on Gaara the whole time. Unlike his upbeat personality, Naruto appeared more...tense and cautious around Gaara. "Anya..." Naruto's calling of her name made Anya jump. "Meet my old friend Gaara..."

"Uh...O...Okay..." Anya gulped, still a bit overwhelmed to even hear half of the conversation currently going on. At least someone here knew Gaara...That was a good thing...Right?

"I'm going to move away now." Naruto said to Gaara. "Be nice okay?" With that he ever so slowly backed away, being sure to keep away from Anya in the process.

Anya really didn't like the way Naruto moved or acted around this...Gaara. The fox demon treaded lightly around him, almost as if this...Gaara would straight up attack him at any minute. She watched Naruto approach the others, moving them out of distance. Even the other demons seemed quite tense at the moment as well. Maybe this...Gaara...was an upper level demon?

"Too close." She jumped at hearing Gaara's low voice. She turned to him and realizing this particular demon liked his personal space, she backed away a bit.

"Um...H...Hi..." Anya gulped again then laughed nervously. "Um...S...Sorry it too so long?"

"Hungry." He said.

"Uh...Okay...Yeah...Um...You...Probably..." Gaara reached for her. He didn't seem to be hearing her for he pulled her close to his form. His arms wrapped around her form, keeping her trapped against him. She froze when she felt his lips on her shoulder. He sniffed her skin and she felt a wide grin.

"Food..."

Anya had mere seconds to react before she felt the sharp sting of fangs digging into her delicate skin.

Her scream hit the air...Gods it hurt like hell! She could feel her blood practically being drained along with her life. Her body began to relax as darkness began to enter her vision.

"Gaara stop! Your gonna kill her!" She vaguely heard Naruto's voice in the back of her mind as the beginnings of unconsciousness set in. His voice faded as others joined in and before she completely went under she caught a glimpse of soulless, seafoam eyes staring down at her, wonder and a bit of insanity laced within them.

And a wide...insane grin...drenched in her own blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello all! My it's been a while! I am catching up with all the stories I need to finish! YAY!

Here's the next chapter everyone! Hope ya like it!

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 5**

She awoke with a deep headache, the events on the beach but a dream. Did she really go to the beach for her birthday with her coworkers? Did she really obtain her summons?

"Take it easy." She heard Sakura's voice. "You lost a lot of blood."

Anya felt a glass pressed to her lips and she drank the cool water within. Her senses were too dull for her to notice anything but Sakura's voice.

"Wh...Happened?" She felt so...tired...

"We'll talk about it once you are better." Sakura reasoned. "Just rest for a bit, okay?"

"Yeah..." Anya closed her eyes. "Sleepy..."

When Anya opened her eyes again she was alone within her bedroom but less tired than before. How long was she out? She rose then hissed as a deep pain hit her in the shoulder. Idly she touched the painful area, froze when she felt gauze covering the injury. Memories of the beach swelled in her head.

It hadn't been a dream...she really DID complete her summons...And the demon really did suck her blood.

"You nearly killed her Gaara." She heard Naruto's voice from the other side of the closed door. "Humans need blood to survive, just like you."

Her face paled... She looked at her right hand, saw the demon seal there silently staring back at her. It was nothing like any seal in any textbook she remembered reading in school. It looked ancient and worn, made from a language she didn't even recognize.

She heard Naruto's voice again. "She's awake. I'm going to open the door. You go and apologize to her, okay Gaara?"

The door swung open and Naruto's grinning face was there.

"Hey, Anya-chan! Good morning!"

"Naruto..." Anya frowned as he stepped in but he didn't come in alone. When she saw the red head behind him, her instincts kicked in immediately. She screamed and jumped out of bed, backing against the far wall. She wanted to be as far away from the red head as possible.

"Now...Take it easy..." Naruto reasoned. "Gaara hasn't...met humans in a while..." He eyed his friend. "Come on now..."

Gaara gave him a sideways glance. Naruto gave him a look that basically stated they were not leaving until Gaara said SOMETHING.

"I am sorry, food." Gaara spoke politely, all insanity completely gone from his eyes. "I did not mean to kill you. Kyuubi informed me of my misdeeds and I truly apologize for my transgressions."

Anya blinked. Did...Did he just call her...food? Wait...He called Naruto "Kyuubi" again…

"Her name's Anya, Gaara." Naruto pointed out. Gaara blinked at him in confusion. "Humans like to be called by their names, not by...what they are to us."

Gaara turned to her again. "My apologies...Anya-san." He showed no emotion as he spoke, thus it was hard to tell if he was sincere or not.

Naruto sighed. "Okay..." He pointed to the chair near the bed. "Sit down, we gotta talk to Anya-chan." He looked at Anya. "Don't worry, he won't do anything, I promise."

Though this was Naruto, Anya stayed put where she was, not budging an inch from her wall. Naruto didn't say anything about her fear, for he understood completely.

"Okay..." Naruto crossed his arms. He stood at the door, keeping his eyes on Gaara and Anya at the same time. "Anya-chan, I think you know what type of demon Gaara is..." He paused. "He's a good guy, just...Well..." He sighed again. "He hasn't been around humans...in a very long time."

"That's putting it lightly." Anya kept her eyes on Gaara mostly, afraid he would attack her at any moment. "And why did you call him Shukaku and he call you Kyuubi?"

Naruto's eyes softened a bit. He appeared to be a bit...heartbroken…

"Well...That's...a bit complicated…Let's...Just leave it at that for now okay?" His pleading eyes made her nod. There were other concerns to deal with anyway.

"Last time I saw Gaara was centuries ago..." Naruto continued. "It...wasn't a great time, trust me...Anyway...For a bit it's probably best if Hinata and I stay with you, until Gaara gets used to being around people."

"Hinata's here?" Anya asked and Naruto shook his head.

"She's at work right now." He held up his hands. "Tsunade-baa-chan gave you time off, so stop worrying about it."

Anya frowned at him, relaxing a bit. "How...Long have I been out?"

"A couple of days." Naruto told her and she gapped. "Tsunade-baa-chan said you aren't allowed to go to work until Sakura gives you a clean bill of health. Until then you've got me and Gaara to keep ya company." His blue eyes turned to his ancient friend who had kept quiet. "Listen, Anya-chan...Gaara's gonna be a bit...Uh...how should I put this...?" He stilled. "Okay look...See how I'm not getting anywhere near you or him right now?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "And I'm his friend...So..."

Yeah, she got his gist immediately. She turned her gaze towards Gaara who hadn't really acknowledged her without Naruto prepping him to do so.

"He's...possessive...in a way." Anya groaned. Awe hell…

"Yeah." Naruto nodded. "He likes his space, a LOT. He doesn't like people touching him, so be weary of that. And keep him out of the rain...Sand and rain don't mix." He chuckled. "Trust me, it's a nightmare to deal with…"

Anya smacked her head, fear was replaced by exhaustion now.

"Hey! It ain't all bad!" Naruto gave her a reassuring grin. "At least you got a summons!" He smirked. "Ain't nobody going to mess with ya now, Anya-chan...Especially since ya got Gaara..." He chuckled darkly. "Demons like Gaara have a bit of an...ancient fury in them...Ain't that right, Gaara?"

Gaara simply stared at him cooly, not saying a word.

"Okay!" Naruto clapped his hands. "I'm gonna give Gaara some pointers on living in the human world...You just take it easy until Sakura comes back kay Anya-chan?" He looked at his friend. "Come on, Gaara...We gotta have a little conversation."

Gaara didn't budge from his chair. He gave Anya a sideways glance.

"I am...hungry..."

Anya shook, the fear immediately returning.

"Easy, easy..." Naruto cooed then looked at his friend. "Gaara...Anya-chan isn't ready yet...Sakura told you...I know you must be starving right now but you don't want to kill Anya, remember?"

Gaara nodded slowly.

"You'll have to make do with what Sakura gets you for now." Naruto reasoned with him. "Now, let's let Anya-chan rest okay?"

Another nod from the red head and he followed Naruto out of the room.

Anya practically crumbled to the floor under her feet, the adrenaline rush completely eradicated. She calmed her beating heart, leaned against the wall behind her.

Some start this was…


	6. Chapter 6

Here's the next chapter folks! Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 6**

A few days later Anya was given the go ahead to return to work. Throughout those days Naruto stayed behind while Hinata was at work. Hinata would return and stay at Anya's place, much to the displeasure of her cousin until he realized the specific reason why. All the while Gaara kept his distance from Anya, never being alone with her though she surmised Naruto had required that to happen. Gaara was never present without Naruto nearby; Anya assumed because they were ancient friends Naruto was the safest bet when concerning Gaara.

When it was time to go back to work, Anya was hesitant. What would happen when Gaara met the other demons? Or the other humans? Hinata and Naruto walked with Anya and Gaara to work, the races staying beside one another at all times, with the humans in front and the demons in back. Naruto was the only one talking while Gaara stared foreward. Anya could practically feel Gaara's cool eyes on her the entire journey to work.

When they entered the building there was a brief silence. Multiple stares were on them and Anya cringed immediately.

_Here goes nothing..._

"Anya-chan!" Ino's shrill voice broke the silence as she raced towards Anya and gloomped her into a tight embrace. "We were so worried about you!"

"Ino...Can't breathe..." Anya huffed and the woman let her go.

"So? How is...The newbie?" Ino's eyes traveled to Gaara whose eyes had left Anya's form and were now darting everywhere in anxious curiosity. Anya noticed NONE of the other demons had approached him and Naruto, keeping their distance and their eyes weary upon the newcomer. Even Sasuke seemed tense and that was saying a lot.

Anya sighed, already a headache forming.

"I...Don't know..." She looked over her shoulder at Gaara. "He's...a bit...Odd..." And practically terrifying, she wanted to say but chose not to. It wouldn't help if everyone starting panicking but who could blame her for being terrified of this demon whose sole food was blood?

"Yo! 'Bout time you guys showed up!" Standing at the elevator was one of Tsunade's demons, the frog Jiraiya. He was always sleeping but because of the occasion he seemed to want to stay up.

"Pervy-sage!" Naruto grinned at the elder who pouted.

"Awe come on seriously, Naruto?" Jiraiya shook his head. He gave a glance at Anya. "Well come on, kitten...Tsunade wants to see you..." His eyes glanced over at Gaara. "And your demon friend too..."

Anya approached him but stopped a minute, remembering what Naruto said before they ventured out of her apartment. Gaara liked his personal space...and elevators did NOT allow that.

"Don't you worry about it." Jiriya waved off her concerns. "I can handle the guy..." Naruto gave the toad a frown. "It'll be alright, trust me. You've got a lot of work to do anyway, Naruto, so I'd get busy."

"Awe man!" Naruto whined. "Fine..." He looked at Gaara. "See ya in a bit, old pal!" He grinned but Gaara said nothing.

"Um...Eh..." Anya shook, unsure of being in an elevator with Gaara but Jiraiya just gave her a thumbs up before they ventured in. The ride was painfully silent with Jiraiya's back turned to them. Anya kept as much a distance from Gaara as possible but that was kind of hard in such a small space. The demon's eyes were still darting around, unsure of the space around him.

"It...It's an elevator." Anya stuttered and his eyes suddenly went to her. "It's...how we can go up quickly."

"So the newbie's that old huh?" Jiraiya chuckled but never once turned around. "Man, what a time to be summoned."

"You will not speak to Anya-san." Gaara finally spoke up, his eyes trained on Jaraiya's back.

"Got it." Jiraiya said, knowing a warning when he heard it.

It felt like an eternity before they finally reached the top floor. Jiraiya went first and Anya was about to follow before Gaara moved. She froze at first then realized he was making himself the barrier between her and Jiraiya. She remembered Naruto saying Gaara would be a bit...possessive...Again the headache started.

Silently they went down the hall towards Tsunade's office.

"It's gonna look like we're in the sky but we're not." Jiraiya was speaking to Gaara behind him, still not turning to glance at the demon. Was this on purpose? Probably. "So...Don't freak out."

With that they entered the CEO's office. Gaara's eyes immediately widened as they gazed at the large ceiling to floor windows, his eyes once again darting around though not in curiosity, but in awe.

"Well...who would've thought huh?" Tsunade was grinning up a storm as she rose from her desk. Orochimaru was sitting on the couch, his eyes focused on Gaara the whole time.

"Congrats kid..." Tsunade crossed her arms. "I've been informed of our new...guest's difficulties." She nodded at Gaara. "My name is Tsunade, I'm Anya's boss."

"Boss?" Gaara raised an eyebrow.

"Leader, I suppose you could say." Tsunade shrugged. "But only in this building. Outside I can't tell her what to do." Gaara nodded, digesting the information. "Naruto told me you're like him...I am sorry we did not know sooner..."

"Your apology is unnecessary, Tsunade-san." He spoke politely to her. "No sand, thus no connection."

"I see...And ranks are pretty important to you it seems..." She caught on instantly then shrugged. "Welcome to the human realm, Gaara..."

Anya wanted to fall into a hole and die, right then and there. This entire situation was scary and uncomfortable. After being dismissed, they returned to the elevator, this time without Jiraya as an escort. Being alone with Gaara in the elevator was downright terrifying but thankfully nothing occurred. When the bell dinged for the fourth floor and the door opened, it was Naruto's grinning face they saw. It took Naruto great prodding to get Gaara off, but he managed, allowing Anya to return to the first floor alone. A wave of calm embraced Anya once Gaara was gone but she feared it wouldn't last. She returned to her desk and tried to concentrate but it was very difficult to do such. How could one even concentrate when there was a blood lust demon currently residing in the building!?

The lunch bell rang and Anya slunk into her seat. She was so concerned about Gaara that she forgot to pack a lunch. Maybe there were some leftovers in the fridge or something.

"Yatta! Food!" She jumped at hearing Naruto's voice, watched him as he and other demons piled out of the elevators.

Oh crap...It was Wednesday…

In the blink of an eye Gaara was right behind her, scaring the crap out of her in the process. She jumped near three feet out of her chair, turned around and gripped her still beating heart.

"Naruto said the bell meant food." Gaara said a matter of factly.

"Uh...Y...Yeah..." Anya gulped.

"You are well, yes?" Gaara asked.

"Y...Yeah..." She couldn't stop shaking.

"Gaara easy..." Naruto was there seconds later. "Let's...Go into the break room, okay?"

"No...I...I don't..." Anya was shaking her head, fear ever present in her eyes.

"It'll be alright, Anya..." Naruto's blues focused on hers. But she wasn't hearing him. Memories of the first encounter were just too strong to ignore. Her hand unconsciously went to her neck, where Gaara's wounds were still healing. It was the worst pain she had ever felt in her life and she wasn't about to experience it again, Gaara be damned.

"Anya, breathe..." Naruto took a step towards her...Which was a big mistake for suddenly his body was smacked into the far wall by a trail of sand.

The lobby had instantly become tense. Anya immediately screamed and jumped her desk to get away. All she could think about was leaving, getting away from this madman of a demon. As she reached the doors to her salvation, a tendril of sand gripped her form, nearly encasing her in the process. The sand guided her right towards Gaara and as he reached for her, a smoldering hand gripped his arm, the hissing of burning skin permeating the air. The hand belonged to Naruto, whose eyes were now as red as blood with bared fangs and a hiss on his lips.

"Back of Gaara...NOW." He growled low in his throat, almost daring the sand demon to not comply.

Gaara looked at him for a long moment. The sand around Anya let her go, dropping her to the floor in the process.

"Calm down..." Naruto kept hold of his friend. "You're gonna hurt Anya. Remember, we don't hurt humans anymore."

"She is not hurt." Gaara deduced.

"Physically no." Naruto calmed down himself, but still he had a hold of the sand demon. "But right now, you're scaring her. That's hurt too...Do you really want her to fear you, Gaara?"

Gaara turned his head to Naruto. He frowned.

"We are demons, they are humans...Humans are meant to fear demons." He spoke as though it were a textbook answer, a matter of fact that went without question.

"Not anymore, Gaara." Naruto told him. "We're friends now." Gaara raised an eyebrow at him, seriously not believing the fox demon at all. "Who are you going to believe? Your deadbeat dad or your friend?"

His words hit a nerve and even in her fearful state Anya could see it. Gaara visibly relaxed.

"I need food...Real food, Naruto." Gaara told his friend.

"I know, but Sakura-chan told you to wait." Naruto replied gently. "Remember what she said? You'll have to make due with what she gives you until Anya-chan can-" Gaara's glare made Naruto sigh. "Gaara, I know you're starving but you can't just demand Anya-chan to give you blood everyday!" Naruto glared back at him. "It doesn't work that way!"

Sakura decided to speak up.

"Might I make a suggestion?" she said.

Next thing Anya knew she was in the medic hall, getting her blood drawn by Sakura. Gaara watched with intense eyes, Naruto right beside him.

"Alright...That should be enough for now." Done, Sakura removed the syringe and with precision added a cotton ball and bandage to the draw spot. She took the small vials and handed them to Naruto who gave them to a curious Gaara.

Gaara at looked at the vials carefully. He seemed very confused as he stared at them.

"Anya-chan can take at least this much for now." Sakura explained. "But you need to let her completely heal." She frowned at Gaara. "Your first...meal...hurt her."

"Yeah...Gaara." Naruto smiled at his friend. "You gotta be gentle."

Gaara tilted his head to the side in wonder. "Gentle?"

Even Anya was staring at him strangely now. It was like he didn't even know what the word meant.

"Why did this not hurt?" The next question that came from the sand demon was innocent at best. "Naruto said not to hurt Anya-san..."

Sakura blinked at the question. "Oh...Well..." She showed him what she used, a small needle known as a butterfly...It was used for children and those who had small veins. "The smaller the puncture, the less it hurts..."

"I see..." He nodded in understanding.

"We can do this until you two get better...Acquainted..." Naruto suggested. "Right Anya-chan?"

Anya said nothing as she pulled down her sleeve.

"Ne, Gaara..." Naruto looked at his long time friend. "I'm going to talk to Anya-chan for a bit, okay? You can go over there for a minute." He pointed to the other side of the room, Gaara frowned. "You know damn well I'm not going to hurt her...You can watch over there...Go on now."

Gaara paused for a long moment before heading towards the other side of the room.

"Ne, Sakura-chan..." Naruto took a seat next to the deflated Anya. "You'd better go, Teme's probably gonna run up here if ya don't."

Sighing the pinkette put her stuff up and left the room, leaving Anya in Naruto's care.

"Anya..." Naruto's voice was calm in a dire situation. "Look...I know it's a bit scary right now...But...Think about it for a minute...Has he truly meant you any harm?" Slowly she shook her head. "If you were locked up for a while, wouldn't you be hungry too?" Another nod then she paused and looked at Naruto.

"He...was locked up?"

Naruto sighed, his shoulders slumped. His gaze went to the floor, ancient memories surfacing.

"Anya-chan...Have you heard of something called...the Nine?"

Anya stared at him for a moment, her mind working.

"This...has to do with...those names you called each other, right?"

He nodded. "It's...A kinda...Status symbol of sorts to us demons." He explained. "A long time ago, humans and demons tried to use...us...Demons like me and Gaara...They tried to control us so they could get power..." He glanced at Gaara who was sniffing the vials before trying to open them with his teeth. "Gaara was contained well before any of us...By his own father."

Anya's eyes widened. "What?"

"Imagine living in a dark place...With no one to talk to..." Naruto continued to stared at his friend. "All you see is darkness and the bars that hold you in. No kindness, no words, no food...Only you and the dark...It...Harms your mind."

She frowned and looked towards Gaara, sympathy now replacing her fears and worries. Vials now open, he was currently enjoying his…lunch. "For...How long was Gaara locked up?"

Naruto frowned. "The last time I saw him was when we were little...I...Don't really know why his own father contained him, but...I can only imagine how devastating that was to him...Back then we were mere pups...or cubs..."

Anya gapped. "Children!?"

"Yeah..." Naruto slowly nodded. "I guess...In human years...Gaara's been contained since he was five years old...And that was about 3 centuries ago."

Anya's wide eyes went towards Gaara who had completely finished his...lunch. He smacked his lips and even tried to pry the last remaining drops out of the vials with his pinky. Achievement reached he sucked the blood from his finger. Sympathy began to increase within Anya. The sand demon didn't mean anything by his actions...He just didn't know any better. If what Naruto said was true, Gaara has had NO interaction with anyone, human or demon, for at least 3 centuries. She could only imagine the thoughts that ran through Gaara's mind. Right now he must only be surviving on instinct and instinct alone.

"Don't worry, he won't starve…" Naruto reassured her. "Long as he gets blood that's yer same, whatever Sakura called, he'll be okay!"

It took Anya a moment to grasp Naruto's words. Did he mean her blood type? Could Gaara have any blood from anyone as long as it was her blood type? Then why the summons anyway? Maybe HER blood was...better...Or something. Whatever the reason, at least she knew she wouldn't die from blood loss. With this in mind, Anya stood and on shaking legs walked over to Gaara. The demon stared at her with a bit of apprehension in his eyes. Anya kept her distance, knowing he liked his personal space.

"I...I'm sorry..." She pushed her own fears aside, remembering that he wasn't at fault here...His father and the world was. "I'm...New to this too...What do you say...We learn together...Okay?"

He stared at her for a long moment. Apprehension was still there in his eyes, as well as more curiosity.

She smiled and held out her hand for a handshake. "Hello Gaara...I'm Anya...Your summons."

It was very obvious Gaara unsure of what to do now. He looked over her shoulder at Naruto who held his hand out, encouraging Gaara. The sand demon took a step towards Anya and gripping her hand he looked at her.

"Gaara...Sobaku no Gaara..."

From behind the pair, Naruto grinned. It was a start...At least...


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay!

As I was developing this chapter I realized I was taking a few liberties on Gaara's personality. However, based on the scenario, I think those liberties are justified. This chapter has taken me a while because I wanted to express the mistrust Gaara has. His character development felt too rushed for me so I needed a point to show that though he has made progress, he still does not easily trust. Hopefully I expressed that character trait in this chapter.

Disclaimer: Naruto, it's characters, settings, etc., belong to its respective creator. All original characters, settings, etc., belong to ME!

**Chapter 7**

Right after work, it was the escorts of Naruto and Hinata that brought Anya and Gaara home. Hinata was ready and willing to spend another night in Anya's home but Anya decided against it. Hinata and Naruto had to eventually go home anyway and with new resolve, Anya was sure she would be fine with Gaara alone tonight.

"You sure you're going to be okay, Anya?" Hinata was seriously hesitant in leaving Anya alone with Gaara, especially with what happened at work.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Anya promised her. "You and Naruto need to go back home before your cousin has a meltdown."

"She'll be okay, Hinata." Naruto grinned at his own summons. "Come on! Let her and Gaara have some alone time!"

"...O...Okay..." Hinata hugged Anya then followed Naruto out. Closing the door and locking it behind them, Anya turned around to stare at the elephant in the room. He was sitting silently on the small couch that had been Hinata's bed for the few days Anya was sick. Who knew where Naruto slept or if he slept at all.

Gaara's eyes had watched her while she said goodbye to Hinata and Naruto. He kept his eyes upon her as she moved to sit on the couch beside him. As predicted he made sure there was a good distance between the two.

"Okay...I guess..." She sighed. "Look...I know...You need my blood but...I can't give it to you all the time..." She frowned and remembering what Naruto said she asked, "You can...survive on other blood too...Can't you?"

He nodded.

She continued. "But...It's...my blood you crave...Isn't it? And I can only guess that my...blood...is better for you…"

"I only require a small amount every day." She looked at him. "I can survive on such."

"O...Oh." She said. "But...You're still hungry, aren't you?"

This time, Gaara shook his head.

"I...But I thought…" Naruto had stated several times that Gaara hadn't had any nourishment in centuries thus the reason for his constant need for blood.

The sand demon's next words answered her confusion.

"The blood drawn today provided enough for me to sate my hunger for the moment."

Anya blinked. Was...Was he trying to reassure her? The next thing she needed to know was something she really didn't WANT to know...However, she asked the question anyway.

"For you to fill...Full...How...much blood do you need everyday?"

It was a very important question considering she was, essentially, supposed to supply him his food.

He paused.

"Under normal circumstances...Half of one of those small vials a day.." Gaara stated.

Anya was caught off guard by his words yet grateful at the same time. At least she wasn't going to die from blood loss.

"And...with the current...situation?"

Again, another calculating pause.

"If we are to use the food Haruno-san has given me then I will require at least two of those vials a day for at least five days." He explained. "The food I was given while you rested helped greatly." His face crunched up in disgust. "Even though it was...Not the best tasting to begin with…"

Anya nearly giggled at his disgusted face. It was the first time he ever expressed something visually…It felt like a two year old pouting over the food that was given to him.

"Well...I'm sorry, but...You'll have to be content with the nasty food for now." She told him then looked around her apartment. "I guess...I'll need to find a bigger place...Can't have you permanently sleeping on the couch…" She crossed her arms in deep thought. "It might not be bad for Sakura to show me how to draw my own blood...Just in case…"

She could feel his eyes upon her.

"Sorry...I just...I'm not ready for the...Fang thing yet…" Anya huffed. The first time completely freaked her out. Just knowing Gaara had sharp fangs that could rip through flesh-

"I am...sorry...For scaring you upon our first meeting…"

His voice made her thoughts halt. He wasn't looking at her, rather he was gazing at the coffee table in front of them. She realized immediately this was hard for him. Despite the intense awkwardness, he was at least trying. Anya had to give him that.

"Hey...It's...It's okay…" She gave him a reassuring smile. "I guess it was expected...You've been...in that prison for so long…" She had suddenly become curious. "Why...Would your dad…?"

"I do not wish to talk of that." He said and that silenced the argument immediately.

Anya nodded. "Alright…" She rose then sighed. "Well...I guess I better eat…" She got an idea. "Hey...Why don't we watch some TV?" There went his curious eyes and cocked-head again. She laughed. "We're definitely watching television…"

It was a desperately needed calm night. Anya had to stifle her giggles as Gaara's seafoam eyes stared in awe at the people in the 'box', the television. He had quickly become enamored with it, especially when she handed him the remote. The modern world had to be quite a lot to take in for him...It was actually cute in a way. Here was an ancient demon who drank blood for food and scary as hell with his sand powers, pouting as Coyote had yet again failed in retrieving the elusive Roadrunner. Perhaps he liked that cartoon so much because the setting reminded him of sand. Could he actually be from Suna? That was very possible. Maybe the next time the Suna group came to Konoha she would introduce them. They might be able to help Gaara adjust more to this modern time than she probably could.

Gaara's curiosity was almost childlike and refreshing to say the least. When the cartoon was over he flipped the channel and nearly jumped three feet after hearing a scream. Come to find out he had discovered a horror movie and the main character was being chased by a chainsaw wielding maniac. Anya nearly jumped herself when a wall of sand had burst forward, covering his form completely. Frowning she looked at the screen and the giantic sand sphere upon her couch. Quickly grabbing the discarded remote she turned the tv off.

"Hey...Easy...It's just a movie...It's not real life." Hesitant was Anya's hand as it reached for the sand surrounding Gaara's form. The sand was cool to the touch yet she could feel a pulsing underneath...a light heartbeat of sorts. "Calm down...It's okay…"

The sand recoiled her back, smacking her hand away. Anya rubbed the soar spot and frowned. Was this his version of a panic attack?

"Gaara, Gaara can you hear me?" She minded his space but kept talking to him. "Breathe...It's alright."

When no sound came from the sand, she sighed and stood.

"Okay, I'm going to bed now…" She walked towards her bedroom, took one last look at the ball of sand sitting upon her couch. It was rather...sad really…

Turning the knob she walked into her bedroom for the night, making a mental note to keep Gaara away from anything related to the horror genre.

"Um...I guess...Goodnight…" She turned to him. "If...You need anything...I'll be in my room."

Silent was the night that fell upon Anya's small apartment. Using the midnight air, tendrils of sand crept under Anya's bedroom door, slinking around the floor until it made its way to the bed. There Anya was tangled in her pillows and dreams, completely unaware of the visitor that had entered her sanctuary. Gradually the sand tendril made its way up the bed's leg towards the sheets and blankets. Being careful not to rose the sleeping human, the tendril slunk its way towards Anya's face. Calmly it rose until its prey was underneath. There was a stillness as tendril and human were almost too close for comfort. The tendril made to sharpen its point, ready to attack. It barreled towards the sleeping Anya, ready for the kill.

Until her whispered breathe halted its movements.

"Gaara…"

Sharp point was mere inches from her neck before it recoiled away, shaking then bursting into sand microbes which fell onto blankets then rolled off the bed, gathering into the floor below. The sand, now a mere puddle of itself, slunk away under the door frame, allowing its prey to live for another day.


End file.
